Law & Disorder: 1 dead in accident at Bacardi plant on North Main Street

Thursday

Aug 16, 2012 at 9:20 PM

The Times-Union

One person has died in an industrial accident at the Bacardi plant at 12200 N. Main St., according to the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department.

The accident happened shortly after 5:30 p.m. Thursday, but little information was initially available. A Jacksonville Sheriff's Office sergeant told Times-Union news partner First Coast News that a worker was crushed by a heavy piece of equipment inside the warehouse.

The Sheriff's Office and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration were on the scene investigating.

The Jacksonville plant, one of the company's 27 production locations, bottles all Bacardi rum distributed in the United States. It produces about 45,000 cases of rum a day.

Timothy J. Gibbons

Woman's body found on side of roadway

A woman's body was discovered alongside Agave Road Thursday morning, and Jacksonville police are treating it as a homicide although there were no obvious signs of trauma on the body.

Sgt. Jay Farhat said police were called about 7:45 a.m. to the 10300 block of Agave off Atlantic Boulevard and Cortez Road. The woman was facedown on the grass beside the road and appeared to be in her late-30s or mid-40s. He doesn't know if she died at the scene or whether she may was dropped off there. He also said she had no identification on her.

Neighbors at the scene told the Times-Union they didn't hear anything.

Dana Treen

Second man convicted in crowbar beating

A second man is guilty in the March break-in of a Jacksonville Beach home and crowbar beating of the resident.

A jury convicted Nicholas Duane Warren, 23, of attempted felony murder and armed robbery, the State Attorney's Office said Thursday.

Warren and 26-year-old James Thomas Taylor, who previously pleaded guilty to the same charges, broke into the home and used a crowbar to beat Matthew Longhway. Warren and Taylor also tried to shoot the victim, but the gun jammed, prosecutors said. They then stole TVs, a laptop and other electronics.

Warren's sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 17 and Taylor's for Aug. 27.

Scott Butler

Body found floating in water at Blount Island

Jacksonville police are investigating the discovery of a body in the water Thursday at the Marine Corps command at Blount Island.

Homicide detectives were called at 11 a.m. to the military support facility after the body was found on the east side of the island in the 5800 block of Channel View Boulevard. No foul play is suspected.

Police did not release the individual's identity or sex pending a medical examiner's investigation.

Dana Treen

CLAY

Explosion at trailer possibly a meth lab

A Thursday morning explosion and fire at an abandoned Middleburg double-wide trailer may be linked to the production of methamphetamine, according to the Clay County Sheriff's Office.

Firefighters were called to the trailer in the 1900 block of Openwoods Road at 9:45 a.m. after neighbors reported the explosion and flames.

"The initial crews reported heavy smoke and flames in the structure," said Capt. Bernita Bush, county fire department spokeswoman.

The fire was under control by 10:15 p.m., she said.

Detectives and the fire department are investigating the blaze and suspect someone may have been inside cooking meth earlier in the day, the Sheriff's Office said. Initial findings indicate the presence of methamphetamine-related items inside.

Dan Scanlan

Man sentenced in child sex sting

A 28-year-old Orange Park man was sentenced to seven years in prison Thursday after pleading guilty to charges of soliciting a child for sex.

Ryan Scheurman is guilty of traveling to meet a minor to do unlawful acts, use of a two-way communication device to facilitate a felony, soliciting a child via computer to engage in sexual conduct, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of marijuana.

Scheurman was arrested in April in connection with the "Don't Play in Clay" operation. That was set up by the Clay County Sheriff's Office, FBI and Florida Department of Law Enforcement to correspond with men online who wanted to have sex with young girls, according to investigators.

While online, Scheurman requested a meeting to have sex with a 14-year-old girl at a home in Fleming Island. When he got to the home, police were waiting. Drugs were also found on Scheurman. He was one of about 20 picked up in the five-day sting.

Dan Scanlan

PUTNAM

Victims of rear-end semi crash identified

The Florida Highway Patrol has identified two Palatka residents killed in a multi-car crash in Gainesville Tuesday night.

Vicki Lynn Valentine, 61, and Dennis Joseph Brown, 65, died in the wreck about 5 a.m. at SoutheastHawthorne Road and Southeast 43rd Street.

Both were wearing seat belts and were passengers in a Dodge Caravan driven by 24-year-old Yoshandah Sade Tucker, who suffered serious injuries, according to the Highway Patrol.

The Caravan was stopped at a red light when it was rear-ended by a semi that failed to stop.

Clifford Davis

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